English Homophones

English (especially British English) is not spelt phonetically. Two words
can share none, any or all of Spelling, Pronunciation and Meaning. All
languages have synonyms (words with unrelated spelling and pronunciation
but the same meaning) and words with multiple meanings. However English
has an exceptional disparity between spelling and pronunciation.

The possible combinations or some but all characteristics being
the same are as follows:-

Spelling

Pronunciation

Meaning

Classification

Example

Same

Different

Different

Homonym

refuse

Different

Same

Different

Homophone

See below

Same

Same

Different

Multiple meanings

trap

Different

Different

Same

Synonym

rare/uncommon

Same

Different

Same

Alternative pronuncation

Schedule (British/American pronuncation)

Different

Same

Same

Alternative spelling

jail/gaol

This page is about homophones. Words with different meanings and spellings, but the same (UK) pronunciation.

My collection

With the generous help of various contributors, I have now collected
441 homophones.
This is 396 pairs, 40 triples and 5 quadruples.
That is 546 pairs of homophone words.

Near misses

These are word pairs that have been suggested but rejection, for one of the following reasons:-

Not precisely the same pronunciation.
I only reject on this grounds, if my dictionary gives different pronunciation (or is unclear) and
I think there is a difference, or am not sure how one of the words in pronounced.

accept, except

acetic, ascetic

advice, advise

affect, effect

axe, acts

axle, axil

deal, dele

caret, carrot

close, clothes

cask, casque

deuce, juice

facts, fax

formerly, formally

halve, have

hostel, hostile

ion, iron

jota, jotter

liar, layer

loch, lock

mana, manna

ordinance, ordnance

paw/pore/pour, poor

pecan, pekan

picture, pitcher

plaintiff, plaintive

prince, prints

presence, presents

tense, tents

wan, won

The two spellings have a meaning in common. Even if each spelling has distinct meanings,
any common mean classifies them as alternative spellings rather than homophones.
(American, or other non-British, spellings are ignored for this purpose.)

ambiance, ambience

assay, essay

aught, ought

cot, cote

depositary, depository

forbear, forebear

forego, forgo

gage, gauge

gel, jell

genet, jennet

gibe, gybe

gray, grey

grill, grille

groin, groyne

gunnel, gunwale

hippie, hippy

main, maine

prise, prize

ray, re

ton, tonne

It would be double counting.
If two forms of two words are different homophones, then I only count a single example.
I list complement/compliment and hence don't list complementary/complimentary.
I normally list the simplest form (singular rather than plural; present tense etc.) unless other form is a longer list.
e.g. I list holey/holy/wholly rather than hole/whole.

Proper nouns and associated adjectives are not allowed, notably a lot of nations, nationalities,
and place names are pronounced the same as common nouns.

Capitol, capital

Crewe, crew

Czech, check/cheque

Chile, chilly/chilli

Dane, deign

Greece, grease

Hungary, hungry

Lapp, lap

Nice, niece

Pole, poll

Rome, roam

Sikh, seek

Thai, tie

Towcester, toaster

Wales, whales

And many, many more.

Unsure

Alleged homophones that aren't in my dictionary.
As such I am either uncertain of pronunciation, spelling or even existence of the word,
so cannot include in the confirmed list.

Word

Homophone(s)

Comment

wether

weather, whether

I am told this is a type of sheep.

basinet

bassinet

?A musical instrument?

hele

heal,heal

?Song, from the German?

how'll

howl

Not really establisted enough to count

leider

leader

?Song, from the German?

lune

loon

The moon (if so fails as a proper noun)

meer

mere

rayed

raid

sice

syce

sorel

sorrel

velum

vellum

wyrd

weird

I would very much like to hear of any other example that I have missed.
If you can think of one, please e-mail me.
Many thanks to those who already have done so.